Automatic heat-regulator for hot-water heating apparatus



I (No Modei.)

v E. N. GATES. AUTOMATIG HEAT REGULATOR FOR HOT WATER HEATING APPARATUS.

N0. 402,076. .Patented Apr. 23, 1889.

"H I 4 s In F 0" h 0 '1;- x INVENTOR- \A/IfNEEnSEEH E. 711571; 4

' closed sothat it cannot rise into unconfined ,'o wiii'now proceed to describe.

'new and useful Improvements in Automatic absorption of the air by the water, and conrrE STATES EUGENE N. lA T ES, OF

FITCH lllTRG, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATKI HEAT-REGULATOR FOR HOT-WATER HEATING APPARATUS.

SI'PiE.a?IFICCAPILIOit? forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,076, dated April 23, 1889.

Application filed November 1, 1888. Seiial No. 289,741. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.- 5

Be it known that l, EUGENE N. GATES, of Fitchburg, in the county of- \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain lrlcat-Regulators for Hotater Heating Ap-' pa/ratns, of which the following is specification. i

This invention relates tea closed hot-water heating system in which the water in thc'pipcs, radiators, and other parts of the ,systcin is inair when expanded by heat; butis caused by expansion and contraction to rise and fall in" a closed tank having a suitable connection with the system.

The invent-ion has for its obj ectto enable the expansion and contraction of the water caused by variations'of temperature to check or in-. crease the (bait, as the case maybe, and thus automatically regulate the fire and keep the water in the system practically at :1 predetermined dcgree'of temperature.

'TO this end the invention consists .in the combination, with a closed watcr-l'rcating system, of a vertically-niovablc tank. connected by a flexible pipe with the system so as to be capable of? receiving water thercfrmn, but otherwise impcrfoiutcand air tight, said tank "containing air above said pipe, and .a flexible or mobile diaphragm separating the air from the water in the tank to prevent the nections between said tank and the draf 1. appliances ol the furnace which heats the wate'rlthe arrangement being such that when the water heated above a given degree its anslonwill cause a portion to IilOW into the suspended iank, thus compressing the airtherein and so increasing the wcightof the tank that ii will operate the draft. appliances and cheek lhe dral't until the temperature ot' the water returns to aprci'ietermincd point, the pressure being thus reduced suflicieutly to enable the compressed air in the tank to lor'cc hack a part of the water from the tank into the system, and thereby reduce the weight of the tank and permit devices to act which increase the dralnall of which I The n cemnpanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, represents a perspective view of a closed hot-waterheatingsystem lprovidcd with my invention.

In the drawing, (t represents a hot-watcr heater of anysuit-ablc pattern-as, for example, an annular water jacket or reservoir and a iire-pot surrounded thereby.

b I) represent radiators located in apartments above the heater, and connected with theupper portion of the heating-reservoirby a .pipeor pipes, c, which conduct the hot water upwardly to the radiators, and with the lower portion of said reservoir by a pipe or pipes, 11, which conduct the water backto 'the lower portion of the heating-reservoir after the water has passed through the radiators and given out a portion of its heat.

The above constitute the principal features of the hot-water heating system now in general use, .the heating-reservoir, radiators, and supply and return pipes being in practice kept full of water which is in constant circulation.

f represents a chamber or tank, the lower portion of which is connected by a flexible pipe, g, with any suitable portion of the reservoir 'or water-space of the heater; The tank -f is air-tight, and its upper portion is adapted to retain a body, 1', of air, which supports the pressure of the water in those portions of the system which are higher than said tank, the

water partly filling said tank and confining the air in the upper portion thereof. The tank is supported bya chain, m, which passes over" pulleys n n, and is connected with a weighted lever, 0, which is mounted to oscillate on a fixed pivot, p, and is connected at one, end by a rod, (1, with the ash-pit door or damper, T, which controls the admission of air to the fire-box, and at the other end by a rod, s, with a'dainper, I, which is arranged over a cold-air opening, u, in the smoke-flue r. The lever 0 has a weight, w, which overcomes the ,weight of thetank f and its contents when the water is at a given temperature, and holds the I ash pit damper 7' open and the cold-air damper t shut. W hen more water is forcedinto the tank by expansion caused by an increase in temperature, the increase in the weight of the tank causes it to partially overcome the weight 11. and lift the end of the lever to which it is connected, thereby closing the ash-pit damper and opening the cold-air damper wholly or partially, as the case may be.

When the temperature of the water is reduced sufficiently to enable the compressed air in the tank to eject the water forced into the tank, as above described, the weight again overcomes the tank and moves the lever 0 so as to open the ash-pit damper and close the cold-air damper wholly or in part; It will be seen, therefore, thatthe fire in the furnace is'automatically controlled by varia-' tions in the temperature of thewater, and that by adjusting the weight which opposes the heat-checking action of the, tank the latter can be caused to operate when the water reaches any desired degree of temperature.

I do not limit myself to the devices here shown, whereby the increased weight of the tank is utilized in use, in connection ith the flexiblysupported t-ank,any suitably-arranged damper or damp-' crs and intermediate devices whereby the described results-viz, checking the fire by an increase in the weight of the tank and increasing the fire by a decrease in the weight of the tank-may be produced.

To prevent the too sudden operation of the tank, one or more springsy, may be arranged to oppose with a yielding pressure the downward movement of the tank.

It is very important t t there be no varia-. tion in the quantity of air in the chamberf, as any loss of air from the chamber .would. cause a decrease in the force-of thewater when it expands, and thereby impair the value of the tank as aheat regulator. Ihave found that the air, if allowed to remain for any-considerable length of time in contact with the water in the tank, becomes materially reduced by absorption, the watch taking up so much of the air as to materialy change the water-level. To remedy this difiiculty,1 interpose between the water and air in the tank f a mobile aii proof diaphragm, whereby contact of the air with the water is prevented.

The most convenient and practicable form of diaphragm for thih purpose of which I am aware is a layer, z, of any suitable oil, the same floating upon the water and effectually sealin g the air in the tank, the oil being impervious to air.

It is obvious that other than oleaginous liquid materials may be used for the mobile diaphragm-sheet-rubber or oiled silk, for example; but if any material excepting oil is used it will be necessary to attach the diaphragm to the tank fin such manner as to prevent the passage of air around the diaphragm; hence I prefer oil, because of the ease with which it can be applied and its comparative ."reedom from liability to deterioration as a diaphragm by use or age.

The tank may be provided with a glass gage-tube, .2", communicating at its lower portion with .the water and at its upper portion with the air in ilr-v 1ank,so that the height of ihecking the fire, but may the water in the tank maybe observed. The height of water in the tankindicates approxi- *matcly the height of the water in thesystemthat is'to say, if the height of the water in the tank is noted when the system, is known to be full, any considerable loss of wa: ter by. leakage or evaporation would be indicated by the depressionof water in the tank, which would be caused by the expansion of the air therein, resulting from the decrease in height of the water in the system, and of its pressure on the air in the tank, The depression of the water in the tank caused by loss of water would dfcourse be greater than that caused by a decrease in temperature, so that it is entirely practicable to utilize the tank as a means of indicating approximately the height of water in the system, particu-. larly in view of the fact that the rise and fall of the water in'the tank caused byvariations of temperature are reduced to the minimum by the described heat-regulating action of the tank.

- Instead of using the weight w as the means for keeping the dampers in their firepromoting positions, each damper may be controlled by an independent spring or weight or by so that the damper a" will be open gravitation,

closed when the tank is and the damper t raised..- a

It is obvious that either of the dampers may be used without the other without departing from the spiritof my invention. I.claim-- V 1. The combination, with a ,water heating and circulating system, of a vertically-movable tank or chamber flexibly connected with saidsystem and partly filled with the'water thereof, a body of air which is compressed by the water-pressure, a mobile diaphragm interposed between the air and waterin said tank, a damper 0r dampers controlling the fire, and connections between said damper or dampers and tank, whereby the tire is checked when the weightof the tank is increased,as set to th.

The combination, with a water heating and circulating system, of a vertically-movable tank or chamber flexibly connected with said system and" partly filled with the water thereof, a body of air which is compressed by the water-pressure, a body of oil supported by the water in said tank, a damper or dampers controlling the .fire, and connections between said damper or dampers and' tank, whereby the fire is checked when the weight of,the tank is increased, as set forth.

3. The combination, with a water heating. and circulating system, of a vertically-movable tank or chamber flexibly connected with said system and partly filled with the water thereof, a body of air which is compressed by the water-pressure, a mobile diaphragm interposed between the air and'water in said tank, a damper or dampers controlling the fire, and connections between 'said'damper or dampers and tank. wh reby the fire is checked when the too ' water in the tank,

weight of the tank is increased, and a yield ing' check, as y, to prevent the abrupt descent of the tank, as set forth.

4. The combination, with a water heating and circulating system, of a vertically-movable tank or chamber flexibly connected-with system and partly filled with the water thereof, a body of air which is compressed by the water-pressure, posed between the a transparent indicator showing theheight of a damper or dampers 'controlling the fire, and connections between said damper or dampers and tank, whereby the fire is cheeked when the weight of the tank is increased, as set forth.

5. The combination, with a water heating and circulating system, of a vertically-movable tank or chamber flexibly connected with a ob le d a r m inter-1 air andwaterin said tank,

said system and partly filled with the water thereof, a body of air which is compressed by the water-pressure, a mobile diaphragm inter-c posed between the air and water in said tank, ,ajdamper or dampers controlling the fire, and connections between said damper or dampers and tank, whereby the fire is checked when the weight of the tank is increased, and means, the jveight wmhereby said damper or damppositions with a yielding pressure, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name I to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 24th day of October,

- EUGENE if. GATES. Witnesses: e

ALICE M. LAMB,

CHAS. E. WARE.

ersare normally heId in thiffirepromoting 

